Monday, March 4, 2013

giving it away

As you can probably see by that sidebar ad to the right, the contest for my one and only, final signed ARC of Winger ended last Thursday and the book is currently a ward of the US Postal Service, on its way to a reader in Ohio.

I feel good about this one, and not just the book. I'm happy that out of the 698 people who entered to win the ARC on Goodreads, a fan of my writing who is also a Facebook friend (and always says nice things) ended up winning. So I'm really happy that this last, well-traveled and worn Advance Review Copy is going to someone who really wants to read it.

So... enjoy!

Also, I am very happy to say that in today's issue of Publishers Weekly, Winger received its first major-publication review--and it got a STARRED review.

This brutally honest
coming-of-age novel from Smith (Passenger) unfolds through the eyes of
Ryan Dean West, a 14-year-old, rugby-playing junior at the exclusive
Pine Mountain school. He’s two years younger than his classmates,
hopelessly in love with his best friend Annie, and stuck in Opportunity
Hall, the residence reserved for the worst rule-breakers. As Ryan Dean
struggles with football-team bullies, late-night escapades, academic
pressures, and girl troubles, he also discovers
his own strengths. Like puberty itself, this tale is alternately
hilarious and painful, awkward and enlightening; Bosma’s occasional
comics add another layer of whimsy and emotion, representing Ryan Dean’s
own artistic bent. The characters and situations are
profane and crass, reveling in talk of bodily functions and sexual
innuendo, and the story is a cross between the films
Lucas and Porky’s, with all the charm and gross-out
moments that dichotomy suggests. That’s what makes the tragedy near the
very end all the more shocking and sudden, changing the entire mood and
impact of Ryan Dean’s journey. The last-minute
twist may leave readers confused, angry, and heartbroken, but this
remains an excellent, challenging read.